NASA’s moon rocket on track for Wednesday launch attempt

Winnipeg venues saying no to AI-made advertisements

Although the days when telephone poles and notice boards across the city were thick with gig posters, either slopped up with wheat paste or wrapped tight with packing tape, are behind us, the art of making an appealing visual ad for live music events is still a vital part of the local creative scene.

However, a widespread backlash against a new kind of slop — the use of generative AI images — has been building, especially among creatives when it comes to promoting live music.

“Live music is and always has been a DIY type of scene, especially locally,” says Evan Simpson, who has been working as a graphic designer for nearly a decade.

“For years people have been making their own flyers, or if they have the budget, hiring a designer or artist to come up with some artwork for their flyers. It’s a whole ecosystem, a scene supporting itself. If you take away the visual side of it, the spark, individuality and uniqueness of each gig poster is lost. What a sad world it would be if all art were made by AI.”

Bombers exact revenge in Banjo Bowl, lose Collaros to injury

Redha Kramdi downplayed the significance of his return for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

“I don’t think I have that big of an impact,” said Kramdi on Tuesday, who watched the club go 2-4 while he was sidelined with a cast on his left hand.

It sounded silly at the time, and it’s even sillier now considering how exceptional the 29-year-old safety from Montreal was in Saturday’s 22nd edition of the Banjo Bowl.

Kramdi caused two turnovers — a forced fumble and an interception — to lead the Bombers to a 19-6 victory over the Saskatchewan Roughriders in front of a sell-out crowd at Princess Auto Stadium.

Feds chip in $27M for Winnipeg sewage project

The federal government is offering Winnipeg $27 million to help reduce combined sewer overflows, its first financial contribution to the major environmental project.

The City of Winnipeg is provincially mandated to complete a $1.15-billion master plan by 2045 that reduces such sewage spills. The municipal government has so far paid for that work alone, however, as provincial and federal funding focused on the city’s separate $3.1-billion upgrade of the north end sewage treatment plant.

“It’s wonderful to see the federal government (do this) … It’s going to make a difference on the (combined sewer overflow) projects. We’ve got a lot of them to do in the city … With the rain events we saw this year, the importance of accelerating combined sewer projects across the city is more (pressing) than ever,” said Coun. Jeff Browaty (North Kildonan), chairman of finance.

Older combined sewers still serve about one third of Winnipeg, collecting both precipitation and wastewater in a single pipe. Heavy rain or snow can cause the pipes to overflow, which releases billions of litres of diluted sewage into Winnipeg rivers each year.

Everlayer seeks to add new chapter to textile growth story

Sanjay Agarwal wants people to think twice about towels.

“You wouldn’t consider towels as a fashion item, but we do,” he said. “We think it can add a lot of colour and personality to the bathroom. So that is what we wish to present to our customers.”

The Winnipeg businessman is the founder and president at Everlayer, which sells luxury bedding, bath linens and home decor. The products are designed in Canada and manufactured in Europe.

Last week, the two-year-old company launched its newest collection of towels, with designs and colour compositions that Agarwal said approach the towel “less like a commodity and more like a considered piece of textile design.”

Drug recovery centre opens office in ‘heart of the city’

Richard Halverson found his freedom from addiction through Adult & Teen Challenge and, six years later, he hopes a new Winnipeg location will bring hope to the city.

Staying away to keep the heat on

It’s a tough sell these days for U.S. tourism groups seeking to attract Canadian visitors as tension, tariffs and traded verbal barbs continue to rise between the two countries.